Mad Cow - Sydney CBD, Sydney

The Ivy is a new and cool looking complex which had sprung up a little while ago but I have not had the pleasure of visiting until last week. There was a cause for celebration so we decided to try out the steakhouse Mad Cow. With a name like this we had to hope that the name is only a joke and they do not really serve the prion haha but I find the name quite amusing.

We had a little trouble finding the entrance to the complex haha walked past it without realizing until the number suddenly jumped to 350 George St. Had to back-track and finally spotted the bouncer and staff waiting outside. I also spotted a cute little cupcake bakery a few doors down which I must visit sometime ^^!

Reaching the end of the long alleyway, with fashionable and chic shops on both sides, we were greeted by some trendy zebras.

Directions yay!

We had to climb some cool looking steps to Ivy Bar and Mad Cow restaurant. Everything still looks new and sparkly :)
Since we had a pretty early booking the Ivy Bar outside was packed full of businessmen and women all enjoying the fact it is Friday night with drinks and fun. We had to weave our way through conglomerates of people to the other side where the steakhouse is located.

I must admit when I first saw it I thought the look was a bit retro but I like it :) Very warm and cozy especially with the yellow mood lighting and soft cushy seats. Fresh flowers on every table and friendly and helpful staff. Our waitress was very awesome and helpful which made the experience much more pleasurable. The only problem was that the entrance was open to the bar and there is only a thin sheet of glass blocking the chatter and laughter so a very noisy dinner.

We were greeted with some soy and linseed bread which was very soft with a crunchy outer crust. Spread some soft butter and it was almost a perfect start to any meal. If the bread was served warm then it would have been perfect hee hee.

How awesome is the title - Drinky Poos Menu hee hee... I am so mature :D
The cocktail menu with some unique drinks and some classic ones.

Crazy Cow Margarita - A classic mix of Sauza gold Tequila combined with citrus, poached blueberry and vanilla.
To be honest I ordered this one because of its' name :) The vanilla adds a very nice touch to the drink and I found the blueberry flavour too weak but was still a good drink.

Long Island Iced Tea
Classic drink which, for me, gauges the quality and skills of the bartender. Fairly good but mayb just slightly too much ice which means less drink.

The menus are very amusing and I liked how they separated between beef and non-beef mains (The Cow and Not the Cow).

The back of the food menu we have some singing cows ^^! lalalalaa reminds me of Babe the movie haha except with cows.

The talking cows on the cover of the wine list strongly recommending white wines with chicken.
Reading through the menu made us hungry so we decided to order but just as we were about to our waitress mentioned the special and was able to sell it to half of us.

Shortly after ordering Here Comes the Food.

Buttered Spinach

Steamed vegetable
We ordered two side dishes of vegetables to counter all the meat we were eating. These vegetables compliment the main very well and I especially liked the spinach and baby carrots.

Rib Eye 400g
This steak was amazing and came just as we ordered it - medium rare. The chefs surely know what they are doing :) The aroma of the steak also wafts up and activates all the salivary glands even before you dig in. There was a good layer of fat on the side to give the lean meat an injection of flavour. Just pure meaty brilliance.

Special Wagyu Skirt 200g
With a 9+ marble score there was only the slightest taste of fattiness in the meat since it is beef skirt and a thin cut. The chefs had achieved a perfect char on the outside which causes a beautiful combination of crispy/crunchy outside and tender soft melty interior. The textures and flavours are enhanced since they recommend cutting across the grain of the meat for a better culinary experience. I personally would prefer this to the rib eye, the only downside is that it is such a small piece haha.

The Sauces: shallot thyme jus, Bernaise, chimichurri and truffle butter
The truffle butter is an additional $5 while the rest are complimentary with the steak but it is well worth that little bit of extra cash. The rich and creamy flavour just melts on the meat to create a bite of heaven. I am also a big Bernaise fan and the chimichurri was very nice with a little bit of spice to it but I found the shallot thyme jus just average.

We were all pretty full since we had a huge lunch so we couldn't fit any dessert in but these complimentary shortbread and brownie combination almost made us order some. These were very very good, dense rich macadamia nut brownie with a creamy crumbly shortbread base and coated in icing sugar. The pavlova and the hot chocolate fondant were the ones on the menu that really stood out but alas we were still too full.

Mad Cow may be quite an expensive place but the food is just exquisite and definitely worth the splurge once in a while. I think it might just lose to Prime by a little bit but I have not been to Prime in a while now so I'll need to refresh my experience before I can compare hee hee. I will be back here for sure and next time I shall be ordering dessert!!

Mad Cow, The Ivy
320-330 George St, Sydney
Ph: 9240 3000
Lunch and Dinner Mon - Sat

FFichiban